This invention relates to an elevator testing apparatus which automatically makes the operating tests of an elevator.
In general, for the purpose of efficiently operating a plurality of cages, an elevator system has a group supervision control device in addition to elevator control devices for controlling the individual cages. Each of the cages has a controller which is constructed of a microcomputer, and it is operated according to a program which is stored in a ROM (read only memory). The program is standardized in order to enhance productivity, and basic operations have all been tested and checked in a factory. In addition to the standard program for the basic operations, the specifications of elevator operations differing in individual buildings are set at the delivery of the cages from the factory, and various operations prepared according to the operation specifications are selected. Thus, the speeds, the number of stops, etc. of each cage are automatically set according to the program, and the elevator operations to be performed in every building are determined by the standard program and the selected operation specifications.
FIG. 1 is a block arrangement diagram showing a conventional elevator system. Referring to the figure, numeral 1 designates a cage, numeral 2 a counterweight which is arranged in opposition to the cage 1, and numeral 3 a hoist motor which serves to move the cage 1 up and down. Elevator control panels 4 are respectively provided in correspondence with a plurality of cages 1, and each of them includes an elevator control device 5 constructed of a microcomputer, and a drive control circuit 6 for driving the hoist motor 3 in accordance with a command from the elevator control device 5.
The elevator control device 5 includes a central processing unit or CPU 51, a memory unit 52 which is configured of a ROM (EPROM, namely, electrically programmable ROM) and a RAM (random access memory), serial transmitters 53 and 54 each of which is constructed of a device such as Product 8251 manufactured by Intel Inc., a converter 55 by which the command for the drive control circuit 6 is interfaced through voltage conversion or the like, and an internal bus 56 which connects all of the constituents 51-55. The RAM forming part of the memory unit 52 is backed up by a battery against the failure of power supply.
A controller 7 is constructed of a microcomputer provided in the cage 1, and is connected to the transmitter 54 of the elevator control device 5. It contains cage calls, etc.
A group supervision panel 8 is connected to the elevator control devices 5, and it includes a group supervision control device 9 constructed of a microcomputer. Likewise to the elevator control device 5, the group supervision control device 9 includes a CPU 91, a memory unit 92, transmitters 93 and 94, a converter 95, and an internal bus, 96. The transmitter 93 is connected to the transmitters 53 provided in the elevator control devices 5. The group supervision control device 9 can be assembled in the elevator control device 5. In some cases, accordingly, the elevator control device 5 includes the function of group supervision.
Shown at numeral 10 is hall equipment for hall calls, etc., which is connected to the converter 95 provided in the group supervision control device 9. Numeral 11 indicates a controller which is constructed of a microcomputer provided in the hall equipment 10. It gives selection information to the group supervision control device 9 through the transmitter 94, and it controls the hall equipment 10 in accordance with a command from the group supervision control device 9.
Shown at numeral 12 is hall equipment for hall lanterns, etc., which is connected to the converter 55 of the elevator control device 5. Numerals 13 and 14 indicate maintenance devices which are respectively connected to the transmitters 94 and 54. Each of the maintenance devices 13 and 14 is used for adjustments in the installing operation of the elevator system or for inspections in the maintenance operation thereof, and it is constituted by, for example, control switches and display elements such as LEDs (light emitting diodes), or a laptop type personal computer.
Now, an example of the ordinary operation of the CPU 91 in the group supervision control device 9 will be described with reference to flow charts in FIGS. 2-4.
FIG. 2 shows the whole procedure of processing for selecting cages to be assigned to hall calls which have developed from the hall equipment 10, and the processing is the most important in the function of group supervision.
First, if hall calls have been registered is decided (step S1). In the presence of the registered hall calls, if they include unallotted hall calls therein is decided (step S2). In the presence of the unallotted hall calls, one of them is selected and is set as a hall call l for selecting an assigned cage (step S3).
Subsequently, the assignment estimation values of all the cages in the case of tentatively assigning these cages to the selected unallotted hall call l are calculated (step S4). Cage No. n the calculated assignment estimation value of which is the minimum (the estimation of which is the best) is selected (step S5), and it is set as an actual assigned cage (step S6).
As a final step, the cage of No. n is registered as the cage assigned to the hall call l, and a command of assignment to the hall call l is sent to Cage No. n (step S7). Thus, Cage No. n is caused to respond to the hall call l.
FIG. 3 shows an assignment estimation value calculating routine at the step S4 in FIG. 2. Since this routine is in the same procedure for all the cages, it shall be explained on only one cage assumed to be Cage No. n.
First, the continuous wait times of the already allotted hall calls among the registered hall calls, the times having lapsed up to the present since the registrations, are all fetched (step S11). As to those cages other than Cage No. n which are not tentatively assigned, the periods of time (arrival expectation times) which are expected at present to be required for responding to the already allotted hall calls (for arriving at assignment floors) are calculated (step S12). Incidentally, the continuous wait times have been separately obtained by tasks such as timer interrupts.
Next, as to Cage No. n to which the hall call l is tentatively allotted, the arrival expectation time for responding to the hall call to which Cage No. n has already been assigned (for arriving at the assignment floor at the tentative assignment of Cage No. n) is calculated (step S13). Subsequently, the arrival expectation time of Cage No. n for arriving at the floor of the tentatively allotted hall call l is calculated (step S14).
Next, as to those cages other than Cage No. n which are not tentatively assigned, loads in the cages (expectation cage loads) expected at the responses to the already allotted hall calls (for arriving at the assignment floors) are calculated (step S15).
Besides, as to Cage No. n to which the hall call l is tentatively allotted, the expectation cage load at the response to the hall call to which Cage No. n has already been assigned (for arriving at the assignment floor at the tentative assignment of Cage No. n) is calculated (step S16). Subsequently, the expectation cage load of Cage No. n at the response to the tentatively allotted hall call l is calculated (step S17).
As a last step, the assignment estimation value in the case of tentatively assigning Cage No. n to the hall call l is calculated according to a predetermined formula on the basis of the continuous wait times, arrival expectation times and expectation cage loads obtained at the above steps (step S18). The formula is called the "assignment estimation function", etc., and by way of example, the assignment estimation value of Cage No. n as denoted by Hn is expressed as follows: EQU Hn=Tl+f(Ll)+.SIGMA..sup.i [(Wi+Ti)+f(Li)]
where Tl denotes the arrival expectation time of Cage No. n for responding to the tentatively allotted hall call l (refer to the step S14), Wi denotes the continuous wait times of the allotted hall calls i (refer to the step S11), Ti denotes the arrival expectation times of the assigned cages for the allotted hall calls i (refer to the steps S12 and S13), Ll denotes the expectation cage load of Cage No. n at the response to the tentatively allotted hall call l (refer to the step S17), Li denotes the expectation cage loads at the responses of the assigned cages to the allotted hall calls i (refer to the steps S15 and S16), and f(Ll) and f(Li) denote the full-capacity passage penalties of the hall calls l and i as are derived from the values of the respective loads Ll and Li. Incidentally, (Wi+Ti) corresponds to the sum between the continuous wait time, and the arrival expectation time of the assigned cage, and it is called the "expectation wait time", etc. Here, the case has been explained where the expectation wait times and the possibilities of full-capacity passage are estimated for all the hall calls so as to allot one hall call. However, there are also different estimative factors, and the estimation function is not restricted to the foregoing one.
FIG. 4 shows a routine for calculating the arrival expectation time for arriving at the assignment floor, at the step S13 in FIG. 3. The procedure of calculation applies to both the cage which is tentatively assigned and the cage which is not tentatively assigned, and it holds true also of the tentatively allotted hall call. Here, a case of calculating the arrival expectation time of Cage No. n for responding to a hall call j will be explained.
First, the initial value of a cumulation time memory for successively computing passage times at respective floors and cumulatively adding them is cleared to zero (step S21). The floor at which scanning is started is set at the floor at which the cage lies presently (step S22). The scanning direction which indicates whether the scanning is done upwards or downwards, is initialized to be identical to the direction in which the cage is presently serving (step S23).
Next, the scanning floor is renewed by one (step S24). If the new floor is the terminal floor of the top floor or the bottom floor, is decided (step S25). When the new floor is not the terminal floor, the calculative flow proceeds to a step S27, and when the new floor is the terminal floor, the scanning direction is reversed (step S26).
Further, a stop time at the floor before the renewal is predicted and is added in the cumulation time memory (step S27). Incidentally, the "stop time" signifies a period of time remaining till start as regards the floor at which the cage is at a stop. Regarding a cage call or an allotted call, the "stop time" is a period of time obtained in such a way that a base time (10 seconds) has 1 second added thereto in the presence of the cage call or has 3 seconds added thereto in the presence of the allotted call. Regarding the others, the "stop time" is a period of time based on cage calls and allotted calls conforming to that expected value of responsive stops which is obtained in such a way that allotted calls in the future, and cage calls based on allotted calls at present, as well as cage calls based on the allotted calls in the future are predicted from statistical values etc.
Next, the period of time which is required for the cage to arrive at the new floor from the floor before the renewal is predicted from an inter-floor distance table and the predictive travel pattern of the cage, and it is added in the cumulation time memory (step S28).
Subsequently, if the new floor is identical to the floor of the hall call j is decided (step S29), and if the scanning direction is identical to the direction of the hall call j is decided (step S30). In a case where the new floor and the scanning direction have respectively agreed with the floor and the direction of the hall call j, the scanning of the floors is ended, and the value of the cumulation time memory is set as the arrival expectation time of Cage No. n for the hall call j and is stored in a table (step S31). On the other hand, in a case where the steps S29 and S30 have decided that the scanning does not reach the hall call j, the calculative procedure returns to the step S24, at which the scanning floor is renewed and after which the same steps are repeated.
The above procedure is executed as the program which is standardized according to the specifications of a building. Even in the case of the elevator system thus standardized, however, tests are performed in an installation site or in a maintenance inspection operation in order to confirm the situation or find any fault and to search into the connection errors of the devices, and a long time and much labor are needed. As causes due to which the arrival expectation time, for example, becomes inaccurate, the following items are considered assuming that the standardized program has been satisfactorily tested in the factory:
(1) Error of the specification information.
(2) Erroneous distribution of the external information, or any trouble.
(3) Errors of the control devices other than the group supervision control device, for the cages etc.
(4) Error remaining in the standardized program. Moreover, the same applies to the other group-supervisory control information, and the control information items to be generated become inaccurate due to the causes (1)-(4).
For these reasons, there has heretofore been proposed, for example, an elevator testing apparatus wherein as disclosed in the official gazette of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11418/1980, commands are externally given to an elevator control device employing a microcomputer, thereby to automatically generate test operation signals, or an elevator testing apparatus wherein as disclosed in the official gazette of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 172177/1983, elevator states such as the registrations of hall calls or destination calls generated by simulating elevator users are recorded as data items, and the recorded data items are analyzed.
With such an elevator testing apparatus in the prior art, however, when an operating test carried out by the elevator control device is to be diagnosed and the diagnostic results estimated, the operating test needs to be separately analyzed using equipment which is not included in the elevator system, furthermore estimation of diagnostic results at a high level of precision requires much manual labor. Moreover, insufficient information makes it difficult to attain a satisfactory estimation of diagnostic results on the basis of a limited number of recorded data items.
By way of example, in the apparatus of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11418/1980, an elevator operation is conducted by generating a virtual operation command in a program, so that the apparatus is highly effective for detecting the occurrence of any significant abnormality. Minor inferior operations etc., however, cannot be determined without careful observations. On the other hand, in the apparatus of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 177172/1983, the elevator states are merely recorded as the data items. The analysis of the data items requires much labor, and insufficient information concerning the timings of the data items poses a problem. That is, when a large number of tests are made, any abnormality can be determined, but a satisfactory analytical diagnosis is impossible in an installation site or a maintenance inspection operation in which only a small number of tests can be carried out.
In particular, the abnormalities of group supervision performance include phenomena immediately known, such as the failure of a cage to respond to a call, and phenomena difficult of human judgements, such as a miss in prediction accuracy. It is often impossible to find out the abnormality by which group supervision performance is slightly degraded.
As stated above, since the elevator testing apparatuses in the prior art make analyses by the use of equipment not included in the elevator system, they have had the problems that a long time and much labor are required and that a satisfactory analytical diagnosis or estimation of diagnostic results is impossible.